Whittle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perkins Eastman Architects, DPC vs. Whittle, Christopher
New York Supreme Court

Last week architects involved in the Chinese schools among others,  filed against Chris Whittle personally for a whopping $3.8M --seems only $200k of their promissory note was paid back--- in 2017.

According to CEO Magazine Whittle had worked with them for 15 years...so who knows what this money was meant for,  given Whittle's proclivity for grabbing yesterday's cash flow to fund today's debacle. 

Yet a mere two years ago, Perkins Eastman still found their Suzhou campus job so inspiring and romantic ... Here they were gushing about it on Facebook.....Wonder if the construction companies have been paid there. Seems unlikely when they haven't paid the architects.

https://www.facebook.com/100930636494/posts/the-third-and-largest-of-the-whittle-school-and-studios-the-new-campus-in-suzhou/10159285750786495/

Perkins Eastman
August 20, 2020 ·

The third and largest of the Whittle School and Studios, the new campus in Suzhou, China, is slated to become the premier private boarding school campus in Asia. The facility will accommodate 2,500 Chinese and foreign young learners from grades Pre-K through 12 and is comprised of several courtyard-style academic buildings, a 750-seat performing arts center, orchestra and ensemble rooms, a sports center with an eight-lane competition pool, and a residential tower for 1,000 students. In addition to the master planning and architectural design, Perkins Eastman has led interior design on the project.

Combining the expertise and resources of our Shanghai, Workplace, and Hospitality teams, and an extensive roster of specialists, the design embraces the ethos of Whittle Studios by creating an environment that puts learning on display, promotes adaptability and scale of intimacy, and inspires moments of awe. Rooted by key design drivers like Transparency, Flexibility, Authenticity, and Nature, the design draws from its local Suzhou context and culture, explores the connection between inside and out, connects the traditional with the modern, and creates a progressive model for bi-lingual school campuses in China. The school broke ground recently and construction is progressing rapidly.

#PerkinsEastman #HumanByDesign #Education #EducationDesign #CampusDesign #WhittleSchoolandStudios #WhittleSchool #SuzhouCampus #SuzhouChina #Architecture #Design #PerkinsEastmanShanghai #InternationalSchoolDesign

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Rooted by key design drivers like Transparency, Flexibility, Authenticity, and Nature, the design draws from its local Suzhou context and culture, explores the connection between inside and out, connects the traditional with the modern, and creates a progressive model for bi-lingual school campuses in China.

It's a shame Whittle's attitude towards paying vendors and staff doesn't share the same transparency and authenticity that he seems to demand from the design of his campuses....

Did DC staff ever collect the full amount of what was owed to them or is that check still in the mail?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Rooted by key design drivers like Transparency, Flexibility, Authenticity, and Nature, the design draws from its local Suzhou context and culture, explores the connection between inside and out, connects the traditional with the modern, and creates a progressive model for bi-lingual school campuses in China.

It's a shame Whittle's attitude towards paying vendors and staff doesn't share the same transparency and authenticity that he seems to demand from the design of his campuses....

Did DC staff ever collect the full amount of what was owed to them or is that check still in the mail?

As of late August, they hadn't, according to the Wash Biz Journal.....WBJ hasn't reported on it since then, as far as I know. So I hope that means the pay finally did come through.....Wouldn't bet on it, though.

[Anonymous]

Judge rules in favor of Whittle School’s D.C. landlord in lawsuit over unpaid rent claims


A D.C. Superior Court judge has ruled in favor of the landlords of the Whittle School’s now-shuttered D.C. campus, allowing them to repossess the building and forcing the private school company to pay roughly $35 million in overdue rent and real estate taxes.

As part of a remote hearing Thursday, Judge Jorge Vila ruled to enforce the landlords' lien against the Whittle School & Studios, which they said had owed $27.2 million in unpaid rent and real estate taxes between April 2020 and May 2022, plus another nearly $8.1 million since then. In June, the landlords had terminated its sublease agreement with the Whittle School and filed a civil case in the D.C. Superior Court's landlord and tenant branch to evict the school from the 650,000-square-foot building located at 4000 Connecticut Ave. NW. The school closed soon after, in July, citing financial strains.

The building's owners — real estate firms 601W Cos. of New York City and Berkley Properties LLC of Nanuet, New York — were represented by attorney Louis Rouleau of Holland & Knight LLP. Neither Chris Whittle, CEO and chairman of the Whittle School & Studios, nor any counsel on behalf of the private education company attended the hearing.

“The amounts at issue are unusually large, and getting larger every month,” Rouleau told the judge during the hearing. “There’s no way back.”

Chris Whittle confirmed to the Washington Business Journal that the Whittle School has vacated the building, declining to comment further. It’s unclear if he has representation; no counsel is listed in the court docket for the defendant.

Neither Mark Karasick, 601W’s managing director, nor a Berkley Properties spokesperson, responded to requests for comment. Rouleau did not respond to requests for comment.

As of Thursday afternoon, the final judgment has yet to be entered into the court docket.

[Anonymous]

Sadly, I doubt the landlord will ever see a dime of the judgment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Judge rules in favor of Whittle School’s D.C. landlord in lawsuit over unpaid rent claims


A D.C. Superior Court judge has ruled in favor of the landlords of the Whittle School’s now-shuttered D.C. campus, allowing them to repossess the building and forcing the private school company to pay roughly $35 million in overdue rent and real estate taxes.

As part of a remote hearing Thursday, Judge Jorge Vila ruled to enforce the landlords' lien against the Whittle School & Studios, which they said had owed $27.2 million in unpaid rent and real estate taxes between April 2020 and May 2022, plus another nearly $8.1 million since then. In June, the landlords had terminated its sublease agreement with the Whittle School and filed a civil case in the D.C. Superior Court's landlord and tenant branch to evict the school from the 650,000-square-foot building located at 4000 Connecticut Ave. NW. The school closed soon after, in July, citing financial strains.

The building's owners — real estate firms 601W Cos. of New York City and Berkley Properties LLC of Nanuet, New York — were represented by attorney Louis Rouleau of Holland & Knight LLP. Neither Chris Whittle, CEO and chairman of the Whittle School & Studios, nor any counsel on behalf of the private education company attended the hearing.

“The amounts at issue are unusually large, and getting larger every month,” Rouleau told the judge during the hearing. “There’s no way back.”

Chris Whittle confirmed to the Washington Business Journal that the Whittle School has vacated the building, declining to comment further. It’s unclear if he has representation; no counsel is listed in the court docket for the defendant.

Neither Mark Karasick, 601W’s managing director, nor a Berkley Properties spokesperson, responded to requests for comment. Rouleau did not respond to requests for comment.

As of Thursday afternoon, the final judgment has yet to be entered into the court docket.

Is it typical not to send an atty at all? Does it indicate anything that they didn't or are they just filing bankruptcy papers so they don't bother dealing with this stuff?

[Anonymous]

They can’t even afford lawyers and probably know a judgment is inevitable. Future bankruptcy is possible, or maybe it will just become insolvent and dissolve. Time will tell…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They can’t even afford lawyers and probably know a judgment is inevitable. Future bankruptcy is possible, or maybe it will just become insolvent and dissolve. Time will tell…

They’ll put the DC “School and Studio” company into bankruptcy and then Music Man Whittle will be off to film-flam the next city.

[Anonymous]

Is Chris Whittle in prison yet?
Criminal charges? Where is the Feds? There are definitely crimes done by him!

[Anonymous]

Sweet Christ, move on!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bisgaards can't believe their luck! So far, no suits. Hide out for a year while the dust settles.

Not for long

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bisgaards can't believe their luck! So far, no suits. Hide out for a year while the dust settles.

Not for long

"Not for long" Really?? They seem bizarrely lucky to me! He'll slither into a new role at Maret (in the school's most foolish move in decades) and she gets away with secretly begging parents for money to purchase extra violins to serenade parents/passengers of the doomed Whittle/Titanic. I certainly hope their luck runs out!

[Anonymous]

Agreed. Dumb move by Maret x 1000

[Anonymous]

Yawn.

[Anonymous]

This poster is good for one or two posts every few weeks in a desperate attempt to try to keep this relevant and bump it to the first page on DCUM. Sad.